218 THE KEEPER'S BOOK 



killing of some of the cock birds, which are nearly 

 always in excess of the hens in each covey. The keeper 

 should get the consent of the master to kill a few cock 

 birds at the pairing season. 



Note. It has been recommended by some authori- 

 ties that at the pairing season the keeper should scour 

 the grass fields and drive the birds into the corn fields, 

 so as to urge them to make their nests there instead of 

 in the more exposed grass or lea fields. 



Shooting the Partridge 



Walking up. In shooting partridges by walking 

 them up, pointers and setters are used in those cases 

 where there is not too large a stock of birds and where 

 economy of time and energy is desired. In the majority 

 of cases, however, they are dispensed with. Some of 

 the main points to be remembered by the keeper in the 

 shooting of partridges by the walking-up method may 

 be enumerated : 



(1) It is very advisable, before the shooting com- 

 mences, that the stubble and lea fields be well beaten in 

 the early morning, for the purpose of driving the birds 

 into the covers of potatoes and turnips the former 

 for preference. The keeper should send out boys for 

 this purpose, or he may gallop on a pony over the 

 fields, driving the birds in and noting their destination. 



(2) A good deal of time will be saved, and a large 

 amount of important information gathered, if a marker 

 or markers be posted on high vantage grounds to note 



